There have been lots of studies and reports on habits, success, and productivity. Many emphasize the importance of repetition and dedication. Habits take time to become habits. To become a master at your craft it can take 10,000 hours (or more). Productivity can be increased by creating and using systems. This is where things like the Pomodoro Technique, time-blocking, habit-stacking, task-batching all came from.

Despite this being an extensive topic, today, there is something really simple that you can do to increase your success and productivity in your business. Something that will help you form habits, gain success, keep you focused, and up your productivity.

10 Daily Must-Dos

In the book, The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson, he recommends that people choose 10 things to do on the regular resulting in a slight edge over everyone else. Most people aren’t disciplined enough to keep putting small, consistent effort in every day to get ahead. But these small tasks, done regularly, can become habits, they can become your systems to increase productivity, and they will certainly help put in the hours to get you closer to becoming a master of your craft.

So if you have a resolution this year, what are some small things that you could be doing to achieve that resolution? If you have a business goal, what could you be doing daily to get it done? These are small things that you’ll do daily, that are manageable and fairly easy to do, taking less than a few minutes each.

10 Daily Must-Dos Examples

write thank you notes every day

connect with new person weekly

straighten your desk every evening

review most important tasks first

return calls and emails during 2-4pm

write 500 words

get up at 6am

practice “elevator speech” for 3 minutes

review marketing plan

20 minutes working on your website

read trade publications for 20 minutes

track hours

answer questions and comment on followers’ social media for 15 minutes

5 minute brain dump

spend 10 minutes connecting with or researching magazine editors

always leave work with empty email inbox

file paperwork (digital & live) for 2 minutes

research new vendors

work on operations manual

photograph business receipts

reach out to client for testimonial or review

Daily Must-Do Exercise

Write down your 10 daily tasks. Remember, these should be pretty small and easily done. The name of the game is consistency, so don’t overwhelm yourself with overly ambitious tasks.

Choose ten things that you know that you can do every day, they can be focused on a goal or project, they could be general business related, or even a mix in a few personal tasks that will support your business (like getting dressed in the morning if you work from home or turning your phone off at 6pm so that you can focus on your family.)

Now that you have 10 things it’s time to execute. Today, tomorrow at the latest, start getting your things done daily. Remember, most people won’t get this far. If you dedicate and commit to your Daily Must-Dos you will be shocked at how much further you can get in business with these 10 small things.

Take Action: Write down your 10 daily tasks now. Share one or two in the comments below.

Capella Kincheloe

Business Training for Interior Designers

I'm Capella. I am an interior designer who helps fellow designers build their businesses. Designers should support and uplift each other. A rising tide lifts all boats, by helping and boosting fellow designers I believe together we can elevate the business of interior design. Learn More